When you open up the new book by Joan Nathan, “My Life in Recipes: Food, Family and Memories,” don’t be surprised if you become hungry.
Many of the recipes are accompanied by stunning photos. After viewing the mouthwatering images of her genius latkes with chives or rugelach, you might immediately start gathering ingredients and prepping your kitchen. Nathan is an accomplished and award-winning cookbook author, so the cooking instructions are easy to follow.
In 1994, her celebrated cookbook “Jewish Cooking in America” won the James Beard Award and the Julia Child Cookbook of the Year Award. “My Life in Recipes” is Nathan’s 12th cookbook and continues a familiar theme of sharing classic Jewish dishes, often with a modern twist.
One big difference in her latest work is that it doubles as a memoir. Each chapter traces a key period in Nathan’s life and travels and is paired with a recipe. She describes the experience of working for such diverse leaders as Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek and New York City Mayor Abraham Beame.
Nathan will be a featured author Nov. 16 during the 2024 St. Louis Jewish Book Festival, where she will sit down for a conversation with St. Louis restaurateur Ben Poremba.
Recently, the Jewish Light talked to Nathan about the art of creating a cookbook and important skills any home chef should have.
What is the greatest reward of your work?
I found all these old recipes and I was able to update them for the next generation. I get great gratification when people come up to me and the recipes are still living. My work is living on in other people.
How long did it take to write “My Life in Recipes” and how much introspection did it require?
Most of my books are about seven years in development. But I started this before my husband passed away. It took one year to go through all my files and put them in chronological order so that I could figure out what I wanted to write about. Then the pandemic came, and then Allan passed away. And I realized that I wanted to write a book that was inclusive of his life, rather than thinking about his death.
Do you think our food memories from years ago are impactful because of both the taste of the dishes and the friends and family we dined with?
Yes, and I do remember tastes. I remember my mother’s beef stew, and I remember her rugelach and her matzo balls. Those are the taste memories. Tastes and smells. Very, very unique smells. Those recipes are from my family. The role you have as a parent is to create memories for your children. It’s one thing to have a three-star meal in France, and I do remember my first three-star meal. Family memories are a different kind of memory.
What are some key skills a home chef should master?
The best skill a home cook can have is to learn to cook in stages so that putting a meal on the table is less chaotic, like making salad dressing in advance, washing greens as soon as you get home and keeping them in a dry towel, slicing meat in advance for brisket, reducing the gravy in advance, and of course having great knife skills, which I am still aspiring to!
You’ve met many fascinating and significant individuals. Is there one person you’ve encountered who stood out in your memory?
One person in particular touched me: Ada Baum Lipchitz, whom I met when she was in her 80s. She used baking challah as therapy for arthritic hands and as a window to people to whom she gave her challah in later years. For Ada, baking was a window to humanity and to life. I have tried to have her same good attitude.
One of the memories you share in the book was when the publicity department of the publishing house Little Brown used a photo of the decidedly non-kosher dish shrimp sukiyaki on a promotion for your book “The Flower of Jerusalem.” What was your reaction when you saw it?
I just couldn’t believe it. I was like, what? On the cover? Crazy. But it sold 25,000 cookbooks, so maybe they knew what they were doing.
Live With Joan Nathan
WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16
WHERE: Jewish Community Center in Creve Coeur
HOW MUCH: $45 or included with Jewish Book Festival All-Access passes
MORE INFO: Tickets are available online.
Part of the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival. The Joan Nathan event will feature the author in conversation with St. Louis chef and restaurateur Ben Poremba
